


two wheels move the soul

by buckydarling



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bike Rides, Dorks in Love, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, still in San Francisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-04 16:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10283108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckydarling/pseuds/buckydarling
Summary: Jim gets bored and goes on a bike ride out in San Francisco, only because he's got nothing better to do.And then he sees this really cute guy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, snow day tomorrow! Hence more drabbles. First time writing McKirk - it's about time!
> 
> Short but sweet. Enjoy!

Uhura walked across the kitchen floor and bent over him, peering at him and looking very, very unamused.

“So let me get this straight. You, James Tiberius Kirk, member of seventeen clubs, holder of a school pass to all sports games, and being enrolled in one of the most fascinating astrophysics programs in the entire United States,” she straightened up and put her hand on her hip, “called me to your apartment to help you because you’re bored.”

Jim made a lazy finger-gun motion from where he was lying eagle spread on the floor. “You got it, sweetheart.”

He earned himself a sharp kick in the side and a raised eyebrow. “Aw, man, c’mon, I’m sorry!” He gasped, rolling over into the fetal position, clutching where one of her work heels had caught him right below the ribs.

She huffed. “I’m going to work, Jim. You need to figure this out. Go,” she gestured wildly with her hands before letting them fall at her sides. “I don’t know. Ride a fucking bike or something. It’s nice out.” Jim rolled over again onto his back as the door slammed behind her, waving feebly. He pushed himself up, grimacing a little as his muscles protested the change in position (damn, she really could kick hard) and sat cross-legged in the middle of the apartment he shared with three house plants and his own thoughts. _Man, I need a roommate._

Go for a bike ride, huh? Jim pulled his phone out of his pocket, did a quick search on bike share programs in San Francisco, and pulled on his sneakers. It was a nice day, after all.

The nearest bike pick-up was only a block from the apartment, and after a quick swipe of his credit card, Jim was cruising down the hills and streets of San Fran on a somewhat blocky red cruiser, enjoying the picturesque view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sunny October weather. There was a nice park near the Redwoods that had a great view of the Bay, he mused; he’d go there, and maybe nap in the sun for a while.

Other people had obviously had the same idea. The park was a little crowded, and Jim grumbled as he moseyed his way through the meandering tourists and doe-eyed twentysomething couples walking on all parts of the sidewalk. No respect for the unspoken walk-on-the-right-side-of-the-path rule, he thought irritably. The bike was built for comfort, not maneuverability, and he was having a hard enough time riding it without falling over. And then -

And then Jim spotted the cutest man he’d ever seen, sitting on a park bench, eating a sandwich.

He was around Jim’s height, maybe a little taller, with dark hair that flopped a little in his face and a hard expression. He was wearing jeans and a university sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and he’d somehow managed to find the only empty spot in the entire park.

The man looked out at the bay and smiled a little, and Jim almost toppled off the bike. _Jesus H. Christ, get ahold of yourself._ Straightening up, he casually biked past the bench the man was sitting on, making his best efforts to use his peripheral vision and get a look at this guy.

Not even a glance. The man was completely focused on his lunch now. _Great. Good job, Jim. Even the avocado BLT is nicer-looking than you are._

By this time, the crowds were beginning to spread out into the grass and out of Jim’s way, so he took another easy loop around the park and cruised by the bench once again. Nothing. Jim huffed, adjusting his backpack straps, and took another lap around the circle, but by the time he got back around, the man was gone.

“Damnit!” he cursed under his breath, looking around before realizing he probably looked very stupid, sitting on a tourist bike in the middle of the pathway. Jim sighed, then pushed off and biked back to campus, figuring he could always rent again tomorrow. The weather was supposed to be nice all week, after all.

_______________________________________

The next afternoon, when Jim cruised into the park, the man was back on his bench. Jim would’ve fist-pumped, but he probably would have fallen over, so he settled for taking leisurely laps around the park, getting an eyeful of Cute Guy as he did so.

He noticed that the guy was wearing scrubs. “Huh,” he muttered to himself, remembering the man’s college sweatshirt from yesterday. “Must be a medical student?” Cute Guy had another sandwich today, so Jim assumed that around this time was when he took his lunch break. The tourists were a little less scattered today, most of them off doing other things, so Jim took a few free laps before cruising off to Bridge&Bean to meet Sulu, Spock, and Uhura for study group-slash-coffee. Cute Guy was still sitting on the bench when Jim left; he’d already reserved a bike for tomorrow.

“So, let me get this straight,” Sulu asked, scrutinizing him over a steaming latte, “you’re renting a bike for forty minutes for the third day in a row tomorrow, so you can cruise to this park and spy on this cute guy without bothering to talk to him?”

Spock gazed unamused over a cup of plain black coffee. “That is a very illogical approach, Jim. Simply approaching him and starting a conversation would be much easier, and less costly.” Jim smacked him on the arm, taking a large bite out of a cranberry muffin.

“Nah, I don’t wanna interrupt the guy’s lunch break,” said Jim, in response to which Uhura simply raised one eyebrow, stirring her tea with a spoon.

“I tell you, very ironically, to go on a bike ride, and this is what it turns into?” She huffed out a laugh. “I should tell you to shoot yourself into space, see how that turns out.” Jim rolled his eyes while Sulu cackled. Spock looked at Uhura quizzically.

“Perhaps you should have chosen better wording. Despite his impulsivity, Jim would not simply launch himself into orbit without even a space suit on for he would either die of the sheer velocity, or the lack of a suitable atmosphere upon arrival. A proper piece of advice would be--” Uhura pinched him on the ear, prompting a very un-Spock-like yelp, then patted him on the shoulder.

“You knew what I mean, smart-ass. You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Jim and Sulu choked on their coffee.

__________________________________

For the next week, Jim continued enjoying bike rides to the park, where he’d learned Cute Guy’s lunch break and the bench he always sat on. The weekdays meant fewer tourists, and Jim settled into a routine: take five laps, nap for ten minutes in the sun, then take one more lap before heading back to campus. The guy usually looked pretty beat, but it only made him more attractive. JIm wondered how soft his hair was, his hands, what he looked like when he smiled. _Jesus, Jim, you really need to get over this_ , he thought, but back to the park he went, day after day.

When that Saturday rolled around, however, the park was packed - with kids. Jim grumbled curses under his breath, trying to maneuver around the crowds of families and school trips, and he couldn’t seem to pin down Cute Guy’s location. Spotting a break in the crowd, he pedaled faster, looking for the usual bench.

Suddenly, his front tire hit a tree root, and Jim went sprawling, letting out an “Oof!” as his shoulder his the ground, gravel ripping into his t-shirt and digging into the skin of his upper arm. His palms stung as he skidded to a stop, the bike sprawled next to him, and Jim huffed out a breath, lying there on the ground.

“Need a hand?” came a voice from above him, and Jim opened one eye.

Standing above him was Cute Guy, holding a sandwich in one hand and looking more than a little amused. Jim sucked in a breath and forced himself to calm down.

“Yeah, thanks,” he laughed, stretching out the arm that didn’t hurt. The guy’s hands were smooth with had a firm grip, but Jim forgot about that for a second as his shoulder protested in pain when he left the ground. He stumbled to his feet, wincing. “Owww.”

“Ouch.” Cute Guy grimaced at the scrapes on Jim’s shoulder. “Want me to take a look at that? I’ve got medical training,” he offered.

Jim resisted the urge to say, _I know,_ and instead nodded. ‘Yeah, if you don’t mind.” He gestured to the sandwich. “I feel bad, though, I’m taking away from your lunch break.”

The guy shrugged. “Nah, you’re fine. Would’ve spent it alone anyway. Me and my sandwich and my bones.”

Jim snorted. “Alright, Bones, I’ll let you take a look at me.” The man rolled his eyes, pulling a bottle of disinfectant and a cotton ball out of his backpack.

“The name’s Leonard, pal. Leonard McCoy.” Leonard eyed him. “You?”

Jim grinned at him. “Jim Kirk, at your service.” He hissed as Leonard dabbed at his shoulder with something that stung. Leonard muttered a quick “sorry” and pulled out a piece of gravel.

Jim looked at him. “You sure you don’t want me to, like, pay you back or something?” Leonard looked at him and smiled a little.

“A coffee would be nice. I mean, I’m pretty sure you’re already interested, so, it’s a date?”

Jim spluttered. “What?”

Leonard laughed, pulling Jim’s sleeve back down over his arm. “I noticed you ride by me six times, you know. Why else d’you think I’ve been taking my lunch break in the same park, on the same bench, all week?” Jim turned the color of a tomato.

“Sorry?” he offered, but Leonard waved him off.

“Sorry, nothing. You’re not bad-looking yourself.” He smiled softly. “Wouldn’t’ve offered to help you if I hadn’t wanted to talk, anyway.” Leonard stood up from the bench and offered his hand again. “You in?”

Jim grinned. “Hell, yeah,” he replied, and grabbed it.

______________________________________________

“Well,” Jim mused, later, “I’ve closed down bars, and libraries; but I’ve never managed to stay in a coffee shop until closing time before. That was impressive.”

Leonard laughed, bumping their (uninjured) shoulders together. “Well, I was off of work anyway. My internship’s almost up.” He looked at Jim. “Hope you didn’t miss any important class time.”  
Jim shrugged. “Meh. I only missed one class, and the prof puts all her presentations online anyway. I’ll be fine.” He smiled. “Worth it, anyway.”

Leonard looked down, blushing in the darkness, before reaching forward and taking Jim’s hand. Jim’s smile widened, and he squeezed a little, lacing their fingers together. “You’re fun to talk to,” Leonard added. Jim laughed.

“Well, that’s the nice way of putting it,” he said, and Leonard chuckled. They stopped in front of Jim’s building. Leonard looked up.

“This your place?” he asked. Jim nodded.

“I’d ask if you wanted to come up for coffee, but, well,” he joked, gesturing with his free hand, and Leonard laughed.

“Maybe next time,” he replied. “But for now, I’ll settle for this.”

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Jim’s, his eyelashes fluttering on Jim’s cheek. Jim sighed, leaning in to kiss him back, taking his other hand and lacing their fingers. Leonard broke away first, smiling, then pulled a Sharpie out of his pocket and scribbled a phone number on Jim’s palm.

“Meet you for lunch tomorrow?” he asked, and Jim broke out smiling.

“You got it, Bones,” he answered, leaning in to kiss him again.

**Author's Note:**

> There we go! If you liked what I did with these two (or not) let me know!
> 
> Kudos and comments always appreciated!
> 
> tumblr: stevetrevvors


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